Kings Coaching Options Post-Hiller

The period between the All-Star game and the trade deadline is often littered with rumors of trades and new faces in new cities.

For the Los Angeles Kings, this period will be filled with questions about who the next head coach will be after firing Todd McLellan last Friday.

Yes, the Kings' press release said that Jim Hiller would be the interim coach for the remainder of the season.

However, things change quickly. 

Remember a few weeks ago when Rob Blake said the Kings weren't thinking about a coaching change?

On top of that, barring an incredible run that sees the Kings shoot up the standings and make a deep run, Hiller's tenure likely won't go past the remainder of this season, at most.

Now is the time to start thinking about who will lead this team in the future, even if the ultimate decision isn't until the summer.

Fortunately for the Kings, there is always a roster of good coaches without a job whom they can look to. They can also look for coaches currently working if they're willing to wait until the summer to make a move.

Craig Berube's name has been circling Kings' social media circles for a while now. The second McLellan's job seemed to be in legitimate danger, people started talking about Berube taking over.

It's easy to see why, the allure of Berube repeating his 2018-2019 success with the St. Louis Blues, taking over an underperforming team to Stanley Cup glory, is enticing. 

His success in St. Louis wasn't a flash in the pan either. They never made a deep run again, but were a consistent playoff team during a transitional period for their roster.

There are some warning signs with Berube, the Blues rarely posted impressive underlying numbers under Berube, and towards the end, it appeared he lost the locker room.

But, he got results and that's all that matters in the end. 

I'd also question if this Kings team is built for Berube. He typically prefers big, heavy forechecking teams, a bit like the Darryl Sutter-era Kings.

This Kings team has some pieces to make that work, but I'm not sure they could commit to that kind of hockey with this roster.

Before it all seemingly came crashing down, Berube was lauded for his ability to get players to buy in though. If he could get that level of buy-in from this Kings team, they could become dangerous once again.

Berube is certainly an option, and far from a bad one, but I'm not sure he'd be at the top of my list. 

Bruce there it is!

If nothing else, bringing in Bruce Boudreau would be a lot of fun. He's a coach who brings a lot of energy and often hits the ground running wherever he is.

Question marks about his lack of playoff success loom over him, but he is one of the best regular season coaches in NHL history, with the second-highest winning percentage amongst coaches with over 900 games behind the bench.

Boudreau has also historically coached defensively sound teams — particularly in Anaheim and Minnesota — and his teams often post strong analytics.

He's also consistently coached teams with strong special teams units, which is always a plus.

On paper, his strengths make him a strong fit for the Kings' ethos. They've typically wanted defensive-minded coaches who implement a strong structure and foundation.

However, that's where things get a little tricky with Boudreau. Despite a hot start in Vancouver, things fell apart quickly and he was often criticized for a lack of structure there.

You have to question whether the nearly 70-year-old Boudreau is losing his touch a little, especially after seeing the Canucks' success this season under Rick Tocchet. 

Boudreau's viability as the next coach in Los Angeles comes down to how much you think the Vancouver situation was on him versus being a bit of a fluke. 

As a general rule, Boudreau will bring regular-season success if nothing else. 

If Boudreau isn't the answer, maybe his former assistant coach, Dean Evason is.

Evason was recently fired by the Minnesota Wild after a 5-10-4 start to the 2023-24 campaign.

Things ended poorly for Evason in Minnesota, but his three full seasons prior were impressive.

He made the playoffs in each of those three seasons while dealing with some tough cap restrictions courtesy of the Zach Parise and Ryan Sutter buyouts.

Perhaps most notable from a King's perspective, he took a Wild team that has historically struggled for offense and turned them into a high-powered team.

In two of his three seasons there, the Wild finished top-ten in goals for.

He also appears to be the Kevin Fiala whisperer. Fiala played his best hockey under Evason, both in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals and in the NHL with the Wild.

Of course, Evason shouldn't be hired just because he can get the most out of one player. 

However, if he's a coach who can get a team's most talented players going — looking at Pierre-Luc Dubois in particular — that would be massive for the Kings.

Despite a strong record in Minnesota, there are concerns about that team's underlying numbers. 

In his most successful seasons there, the Wild relied on a very high PDO and looked like a team that was riding their luck a little.

Again, results are more important than the underlying numbers, but it's something to keep an eye on. 

A non-NHL option is Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson. 

The reigning Calder Cup-winning coach, his second in the last seven years, Nelson has done a fantastic job in the AHL throughout his career and has been a solid assistant in the NHL.

Nelson's one stint as an NHL head coach wasn't great, going 17-25-9 as interim coach of the Edmonton Oilers. But that was an Oilers team whose problems ran much deeper than Nelson.

Ironically, Nelson was replaced by McLellan in Edmonton.

There would be plenty of risk in hiring Nelson for his first head coaching job, and it would likely be a summer appointment, but it could pay off big.

His success in the AHL shouldn't be overlooked.